Testing Ramadan, Rain Gear, And Timetables

Today was a preparation day and I had a lot on my mind as I woke up this morning. First, it had occurred to me yesterday that Ramadan would soon be upon us. Second, I had also realized that I am drinking about a half gallon of water each day. On MWFS, I will be at the camp where we move around a great bit and it is very warm. On TTH, I will need to walk to local schools in town. It began to dawn on me that this will be a very challenging holy season! That pleases me though as I have a great deal to for and this purification process will be rigorous.
I decided to walk to the various schools to figure out my timing. I suspected the furthest school would be about 45 minutes out. I headed out in the late morning, rain gear in tow in the case of an unexpected shower. I also was a bit concerned that one of the schools might have misunderstood me and might have thought we began today. Backpack and water loaded, I headed out.
I was pleasantly surprised when I reached the most distant school after a 30 minute brisk walk. I "bon jour"ed myself half to death, but the smiles were worth it. When I arrived a the Nzulu school, I was dismayed that they had prepared for me and I was too late for the students. I apologized to the headmaster who was very understanding. He laughed and told me that he thought Americans were always on time. I laughed as well and told him he didn't know the half of it. He rounded up the participating teachers though and we had a good, impromptu first session. They warmed up slowly, asked great questions. and we got the program started in the right direction. After about 90 minutes, I headed back to the UN compound. The clouds were rolling in though.
The headmaster walked me to the edge of the compound as I began to put on my rain jacket. I had bought it, my hat, and shoes at REI with help from a kind faculty member and her husband. Almost as soon as I left, the wind came followed two minutes later by torrential rain. As I walked, there were fewer and fewer people and vehicles out. It was refreshing and a welcome respite from the heat of the morning. A few times, a UN car came by and ask if I wanted a lift. When I said no, the drivers smiled (having come to know me this past week) and pressed on. A half an hour later I arrived at the UN site soaked from my waist to my ankles. The rain gear had held up well and I was very happy. I know that I can traverse the town freely in any weather, and that I will be able to hold up to the hefty demands of Ramadan when the time comes. I am looking forward to everything the next six weeks brings.

The teachers from local schools who will participate in the Teaching and Learning Academy.

A Few Pictures From A Long And Productive Day

I had a great day back out at the camp today and I have a big nap ahead of me soon. Tomorrow is my first and last full day to rest and preparation. From there, the rock rolls over the hill as it were. I popped into an elementary class today, taught a group of secondary students. worked with an ever-expanding English Club, and finished the day off with a contextualized lesson at a carpenter's shop :)

School's Out!

Three or Four, Take Your Pick

Betcha Can't Tell It's 110 in Here

Playing the Grocery Game in a Better Ventilated Room

Having Fun With Group Work

Cy Getting Some Love From the English Club 

The "Michael Jordan of Woodworking"

Pictures

To be very honest, I do not like taking pictures. It is not only because I feel awkward when I take pictures of others, it is just that I hate the disruption in whatever communion I am engaged in. I never feel like I am in the periphery as a good photographer must I suppose. I am involved in what ever is going on around me and stopping to take a picture ends my involvement, or changes it significantly. To be even more honest, I think I am very selfish in this regard. I take pictures for others, not myself. When I am moving about, everything is so vivid and personal, I am not sure I want to share it with others. I hoard the smiles, frowns, laughter, sorrow, frustration, sunsets, quizzical looks, daily persistence, and the slow deliberate dramaturgy constantly unfolding around me. I am not sure it is mine to share.
However, I do need to document this adventure for the scores of family and friends who have given me so much support to be here thriving. To solve this small dilemma, I give the camera each day at the camp to a man who has become known as the photographer. He takes hundreds of pictures for me. Now, a new almost worse problem has arisen from this solution - each night I have to go through seemingly endless pictures of me with my mouth open.......................

My Schedule

I think I have my schedule worked out for the next six weeks and I am very pleased with it. It is packed of course and I am fortunate to have been given the freedom from Bryce and to have negotiated with so many good people on this end in good faith. It will look something like this:

MWM
8:00am Tea
8:15         Depart for the camp
9:45         Arrive at the camp
10:00-12 Teach a level one class
12-3        Work with the English Club
3:00         Depart camp
4:30pm    Arrive back at Zogo
5:00         Eat dinner
6:00         Lesson preparation

TTH
8:00am    Tea
8:15         Walk to local school
9:00         Work with teachers
10-12       Teachers and I go to a classroom with students and apply lessons
12noon    Prepare for second school
1-2           Work with teachers
2-4           Teachers and I go to a classroom with students and apply lessons
4-5           Walk back to the UN facilities for dinner
6-8            Return to the school for English Club
*On Tuesdays I will work with two schools, on Thursdays two other schools

Sat
8:00am Tea
8:15         Depart for the camp
9:45         Arrive at the camp
10:00-1    Teaching and Learning Academy
1:00         Depart camp
2:30pm    Arrive back at Zogo
5:00         Eat dinner
6:00         Lesson preparation

Sun
Afternoons - Additional English Clubs if requested

Two weekday Mornings
7-8an       English lessons for UNHCR staff (tentative)

I will be busy, and the blog is a welcome distraction and a great way to document my activities. They are already asking me to extend my stay lol - give them a month with me and we will see what they say :)

Imposter

There is a certain kind of challenge in teaching people who are smarter and better than you are. I am English teacher primarily because I grew up in an English speaking country and I teach other things. I have had language training, and have studied the subject, but I am no expert. I find myself a world away working with refugees hungry to learn, hungry to improve their lives. I hesitate to ask them their goals or dreams yet, perhaps wary of the weight it will add to my task.
Yet, in a strange way, I like the disadvantage I am coming from as I work through this project - today, for an example, they were so far ahead of the pro from America I had to laugh. Last week we had our first informal lesson and got on the subject of farming. After a lot of exploring, I told them that we would be doing contextualized lessons instead of strict grammar work. I told them little else and we said goodbye for the weekend. They were waiting for me though when I got there this morning.
There was another large crowd assembled for the regular cash disbursement and they whisked me through the throngs out the back of the school building. We started to head out towards the farm fields and I asked where we were going. The short answers was "the source."  I didn't know what to make of it so I followed their lead.

Shortly we arrived at the fields and they began to ask me the names of the various crops and to describe the features and processes involved. I was shocked by the sheer number of things they were growing: corn, sorghum, peanuts, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, lettuce, celery, tomatoes, eggplant, green onions, papaya, oranges, bananas, jack fruit, parsley, peppers, cassava, etc.

There were nurseries and raised beds as well as traditional furrows. We kept going and passed a well and pump and stopped for a short lesson. We then came across a brick making area and I enjoyed teaching and learning

Eventually we arrived at the source. It was so, a big sign declared it. It must be a French thing, for it was camp's central water source - a pumping station. We learned about valves and spigots, the difference between pipes and hoses, and general irrigation terminology. A few steps away, we drifted down to the fish ponds

Of course this excited me and we dwelled there for some time. After a bit, they began to feel overwhelmed by the sheer vocabulary and sweltering heat, so we retreated to a small hut for a catch up

They got out their exercise books and recorded vocabulary and expressions and we even began to examine the structure itself and ended up laughing at the small epiphany involved in "Margaret Thatcher." After consolidating the mornings adventure and cooling off a bit, we headed back to the classroom to officially sort things out and create a timetable for the near future

We wrote about what we had done, played with a few tenses, laughed at spelling and other things, and slowly started to get some of them to speak. As before, the contingent grew as the day progressed and circled back on the morning's lessons. I gave them some of our MVCC pencils and even showed them my famous California pencil trick. It goes over well here :)  I presented two of our dignitaries, Edridge and Julia (the president of the camp and the vice-president of the English club respectively) MVCC T-Shirts. 

They were very pleased and Madame President shed a bit of her decorum and danced a bit. When the class ended, the officers stayed behind to plan our future timetable and possible projects. I was pleased to hear that there is a current discussion in the camp about allowing more Muslim families in, something the group is keen to help discuss. The English club will meet MWF from 12-3 after I work with some young level one students in the school each day. Saturdays will be reserved for our Teaching and Learning Academy where teachers will participate in a six week workshop and the State Department language program will provide certificates. We will create curriculum and handbooks, and they are very somber and honored at the prospect of sharing the materials with other camps around the world. I've got the tiger by the tail and can't let go :)

Stephen Brookfield, an authority on adult education, once said all teachers know they are imposters deep down inside. Perhaps because the act of teaching is such an audacious activity. Perhaps because the consequences can be so grave it would be simple arrogance to proceed without doubt. In any case, I don't mind the challenge I am facing, the challenge we are facing. We will embrace it

The pencil trick :)

The Rain Has Come

I just got back from the camp and settled into room as the rains came. It is that season here and I am halfway curious as to what the roads will look like tomorrow. In the meantime, I thought of this song and a friend who understands:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTQbiNvZqaY

An old post about different perspectives on rain:
http://philosopherking-michael.blogspot.ch/2011/09/rain.html

My UN Home Away From Home

I am living in the small village of Zongo, just across the river from Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. Here in the village, I am quartered at the UNHCR facilities.

It is a nice compound with lots of helpful and friendly staff. I contribute to the food fund and have my breakfast and dinner prepared for me. The food is local and great!  I am anxiously awaiting fufu, or ugali in Swahili, an African staple.

My apartment is the door to the left with the screen door open.

Very cozy and somewhat untidy as I haven't yet finished settling in. There is AC and plenty of fresh water (not hot or running, but fresh). I am very comfortable here :)